The One Morning Ritual That Makes Me Feel Like “Me”

What’s the one item that automatically makes you feel put together? Maybe it’s a piece of jewelry, a go-to hairstyle, or a bit of blush and mascara to make you feel awake and ready to take on the day (or at least look like you are awake!).

For me, it’s always been about the lipstick.

I remember my early mornings in the corporate world when I would use my lipstick to add personality to my overall outfit, and my even earlier mornings following sleepless nights as a new mom when I would use lipstick as a way to distract from my tired eyes. Now, each morning I add a swipe of lipstick to complete my look, and automatically feel more like “me”.

The thing is, for a while there I wasn’t able to feel like “me”. A year ago when I was forced to make many lifestyle changes due to my diagnosis with the autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s, (more on that here), I didn’t feel like myself. In an effort to protect my weakened immune system from further damage, I made the choice to give away all my lipsticks and start over with ones that were paraben-free. For me, I felt like a part of me was missing for a while. And while that might sound dramatic to some, it truly impacted how I felt about myself. Have you ever felt that way?

At first, I felt like I would never be able to replace my go-to shades or favorite palettes, but once I started doing a bit of research I was pleasantly shocked at how many paraben-free options are out there. Slowly but surely, I started testing out different brands until my stock rivaled my previous collection in terms of options, and I finally started to feel more like “me” again.

I keep my lipsticks tucked away in a drawer and divided using my absolute favorite dividers (they are great in any drawer—I use them in my office and the kitchen, too!). If you have limited drawer space and want to display your makeup, I think that this organizer is absolutely brilliant to keep your options stored and categorized on the top of your bathroom vanity.

If you’re interested in checking out my favorite shades and brands, I’ve added a lot of them right here and also below: